A police chief has urged British communities to do more to shame sexual predators after an 18-strong gang was convicted of crimes against up to 108 girls.

In another appalling grooming scandal, a total of 17 men and one woman were convicted of rape, sexual assault, human trafficking and inciting prostitution.

Details - Sex - Gang - Operation - Time

Shocking details of the large-scale Asian sex gang operation could be revealed for the first time after reporting restrictions were lifted yesterday.

A court heard the group spent four years plying vulnerable young girls with drink and drugs at 'sex parties' in Newcastle.

Men - Immature - Teenagers - Cocaine - Cannabis

Older men preyed on immature teenagers who were plied with cocaine, cannabis, alcohol or mephedrone (M-Cat), then raped or persuaded into having sexual activity at parties known as 'sessions'.

The case has raised huge controversy after a convicted rapist was paid almost £10,000 of taxpayers' money to spy on parties where under-age girls were intoxicated and sexually abused.

Northumbria - Police - Chief - Constable - Steve

Northumbria Police Chief Constable Steve Ashman said sexual exploitation is the 'challenge of our generation' and must be considered socially unacceptable in all communities.

His force launched a major investigation after receiving information from social workers and initially spoke to 108 potential victims.

Course - Trials - Women - Evidence - Period

Over the course of four trials, 20 young women gave evidence covering a period from 2011 to 2014.

In other developments:

Bangladeshi - Pakistani - Indian - Iraqi - Iranian

Those prosecuted were from the Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish communities and were mainly British-born, with most living in the West End of Newcastle.

The court heard that one of the men convicted, 37-year-old Badrul Hussain, was heard telling a ticket collector on the Tyne and Wear Metro: 'All white women are good for one thing, for men like me to f*** and use as trash, that is all women like you are worth.'

Sex - Ring - Women - Authorities

The sex ring was exposed when two women spoke to the authorities in...